Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Joan Hessayon Award contender 2016: Heidi Swain

Welcome to Heidi Swain, one of the
talented contenders for this year's Joan Hessayon Award and graduate of
the RNA New Writers' Scheme. Thank you for answering our questions, Heidi.

How
long have you been writing? Is this your first published piece?

I
recently discovered, courtesy of a school chum, that my literary aspirations
were well known amongst my friends before I left school so therefore I would
have to admit to writing for at least thirty years. However, I was in my
thirties before I decided to really take my writing seriously and yes, The
Cherry Tree Café is my first published novel.

How
many years were you a member of the NWS and did you submit a manuscript each
year?

I
was a member of the NWS for just one year before securing my publishing deal.

What
came first, agent or publisher?

My
publisher came first. I haven’t looked for an agent yet!

How
did you find your publisher?

I
discovered my wonderful publisher through the joys of social media. Books and
The City are the digital imprint of Simon and Schuster and in 2014 they opened
their inbox to unsolicited manuscripts using the hashtag #onedayonly. I
prepared my submission package, pressed send and the rest, as they say, is history.

Do
you have a contract for one book or more?

My
initial contract was for two e-books; The Cherry Tree Café and Summer at
Skylark Farm (which will be published on June 2ndthis year). In December 2015 I signed
a contract for two more books, this time in both e-book and paperback format.
Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market is scheduled for release on
October 20thand the
fourth (as yet untitled), will be published in the summer of 2017.

When
was your book published?

The
Cherry Tree Café was published on July 16th2015

Tell
us something about your book

The
Cherry Tree Café tells the story of Lizzie Dixon who, finding herself
unceremoniously dumped on her birthday, moves back to Wynbridge, the East
Anglian town she grew up in, and sets about helping her best friend Jemma run
the Café.

Lizzie
has a passion for sewing and crafting and eventually plucks up the courage to
offer classes while Jemma perfects her baking. Lizzie’s high school crush Ben
is fortuitously also back in town and along with the advances of local
journalist Jay, Lizzie soon discovers she has much bigger decisions to make
than just which cupcake to sample next!

What
are you currently working on?

Summer
at Skylark Farm is now ready for publication so I am working on the edits for
Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market while planning novel number 4.
My writing life is pretty hectic right now!

What
piece of advice would you give current members of the NWS?

The
NWS is an amazing springboard to publication but you have to be vigilant.
Always be on the lookout for submission opportunities and make sure you
establish a good social media platform as you go along. Good luck everyone!

Thank you so much for welcoming me to the blog and for your kind words Rae and Richard. I'm looking forward to my first RNA party and am almost ready to start drafting number 4. Almost. See you next month! H x

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Romantic Novelists' Association

We work to enhance and promote the various types of romantic and historical fiction, to encourage good writing in all its many varieties, to learn more about our craft and help readers enjoy it.

Romantic Fiction covers an enormous range, from short stories through category romance and much of women's fiction, to the classics. The nature of romantic fiction means that most of these novels are written and read by women. The RNA, however, boasts a number of very successful male authors amongst their membership.